State studies Taylor River dam

HAMPTON — State officials are in the final phases of a study to determine what will be done with the I-95 bridge across the Taylor River and the dam associated with it.

Shir Haberman

HAMPTON — State officials are in the final phases of a study to determine what will be done with the I-95 bridge across the Taylor River and the dam associated with it.

"We hope to complete the feasibility study this summer so that we can go out and get public comment on it (from the residents of Hampton and Hampton Falls) in the fall," said state Department of Transportation Project Manager L. Robert Landry Jr.

On May 1, the DOT sent a letter to all owners of property located within the Taylor River Dam study area. Enclosed was a questionnaire concerning where those residents got their water.

"It was one of the issues that came up at the last public hearing (in October 2006)," Landry said. "The biggest issue is to determine if their wells are drilled or dug. We don't have information on dug wells in the area."

That issue is important because one of the options being considered by the state is the removal of the dam and the installation of a new bridge south of the current location. That, the project manager said, would result in the elimination of the Taylor River Pond, which could affect groundwater conditions, possibly resulting in the intrusion of salt water into zones of fresh water.

"Based on previous studies conducted along coastal areas in New England, we do not expect significant salt water intrusion, but a number of drinking water supply wells are located near the pond, so we are considering the potential for salt water intrusion to affect these wells following removal of the dam," Landry wrote in the May 1 letter.

The last day for responding to the survey was Friday, May 15, and the project manager said the response has been "great."

The issue of removing the dam came up after the Mother's Day floods of 2006. The I-95 highway embankment forms the main barrier to the flow of water in the Taylor River.

The dam, which is adjacent to the highway, consists of two overflow structures that permit water to flow beneath the highway embankment. During major storm events, there is a storm surge at sea, which prevents Taylor River water from exiting the channel, and causing it to spread out and flood the shoreline, Landry said.

"The problem is the opening (under the bridge) is too small," he said. "It is currently 15-feet wide. One of the options we're considering is making it 70-feet wide."

DOT is actually considering three options. The first is to do nothing at all, the second is to replace both the bridge and the dam, and the third is to keep the bridge, but remove the dam.

"It seems there's a lot sentiment from residents not to do anything," Landry said. "They say they would rather have the flooding than to lose the pond."

However, there is another issue involved, the DOT project manager said. The bridge abutments are made of steel.

"The bridge isn't in bad shape, but we know that steel and salt water don't mix very well," Landry said. "That bridge carries as many as 100,000 cars a day during the summer, so we have to be careful."

The fall public hearings are scheduled to take place in both Hampton and Hampton Falls, the project manager said. The Taylor River begins at the Kingston/Hampton Falls town line in South Hampton.

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